Sony Webbie

Looks like a fun camera (and little shiny tech toys are great for just being shiny tech toys), although I haven't owned a camcorder in years.

I've used compact camera's movie modes for quite a while now, but since switching to Nikon DSLRs recently that might be a problem...

so many choices nowadays. one wants to travel light but at the same time does not want to b deprived of creative control....that being said hope to have a panasonic p2 before returning to tokyo nxt yr

Noticed that in your Figma Repair post! Was wondering about it....may have to pick one up now! Thank you for the review, Danny san!

PS - I have an older Xacti CA8.

Looks like a pretty nice camera indeed and good to carry around on short trips.

Ooo, that's a nice camera. I need to invest in one for my study abroad to Japan coming next year! =O

Small and convenient...nice to take around and take small clips...looks like Kagami is crying for help there...I used the video part of my camera, but the sound isn't too good...

Eh? I just had an idea looking at the 1080p clip! Since this shoots 1080p and you don't seem to fond of the shape of the camera, how about creating a live video feed of Tokyo with this! Ah...that would be cool...

it must be nice to have a job which you wish for stuff and puff it suddenly appears in your lap ^^.
Havent been paying too much attention to the market of video camaras because almost every digital camara has a video recording feature, though is not like i use it a lot, still i do play with it sometimes xp

Pics were taken before Kagami's accident. ^^;

I have a digital camera that can take some video clips, but it is rather old [it is a X-750 Olympus]. Video quality is not the best, it is just acceptable. Ah, yeah, it also does not record long long videos.

BTW, liked very much the giveaway idea.

Eh, Sony products have gone downhill in quality for the past decade+. Plus given all their proprietary, redundant formats and attachment to DRM, I would pass on this thing and nearly every other Sony product. Buying products from Sony only encourages them to continue...

Actually looks like a very nice HD camera !
The quality is good, but what I really like is the low-light performance which seems pretty good.
I've had some first hand experiences with say the Toshiba S-10 and Flip HD's and their low light performance didn't approach that of the webby HD from what i'm saying.

Too bad i haven't seen it for sale here in Amsterdam.
The only Sony model that's tiny and for sale is the 550 Euro one (75,020.42 yen)
It's very expensive , maybe a bit too expensive for my "have it everywhere with me" needs since having it everywhere with you at all times means greater wear and tear if you like it or not.
Tough in it's defense it does have *FULL* 1080P (1920x something) and GPS onboard and alot more of other stuff.

For now i'm doing with the Flip Mino HD. Might look for alternatives if they present themselves like this Webby HD !

My camera can take video but it's not very good at it. Interesting camera but not use for it as I never take videos in the first place ^^;

Thanks for the review Danny!

Looks nice. Hopefully it doesn't come with a Sony Timer...sorry, couldn't resist

I need one...
I'm planning to make some video posts when I'm in Japan for my trip to Tokyo.
It seems I have some deciding to do...

P.S

Forgot to comment that both Trooper vids with the Webby HD aren't actually in HD on Youtube.
Just "HQ" so either the encodes weren't in a parameter that Youtube could make sense of.
Or they were plainly not in at least 720P resolution.

Kind of beats the point of having a HD camera :-)

I have a Xacti HD-1010, the perfomance and quality is much superior than other Xactis until now.

But I don't make videos a lot, and the still images are 8mpx (nice indeed). Just a little bit harder to control Exposure/Apperture and stuffs like ISO gain...

Looks small enough to carry around in your pocket, so very convenient. Although, I think Danny used his Lumix camera to do the recently posted driving video. That looked good for a night time video from a still camera. Mabye that was because it was stationary in the car. I wonder if the Lumix would work as well for a daincing storm trooper? If so I'd be getting the Lumix.

This little tangy seems nice.

Didn't know HD cameras became so small, I should start investing in one.

Seem like a good investment for me

I am mostly shocked at the size of that thing! I remember my dad's first video camera. That thing was bulky and quite heavy to carry. It uses a Beta tape to record. And that was pretty small back then. These days you could totally forget that the camera is in your pocket and may bang it on something or forget it somewhere ^^;

Back in college learning about Publishing, I used Adobe Premier. I thought that was a pretty nice program. It crashed a lot though... I don't do too many video editing these days, but if I do I just use Windows Movie Maker.

Looks slick and cool, size doesn't matter~ I would like one in dark blue :)

That a pretty neat little toy for the price, and such a compact size. I can see it being popular for people on the go instead of lugging those old huge HD vid cameras around. However, I'm not much of a camera person let alone a vid one.

I'm currently using a Samsung SC-MX20 to film Autocross and other things. Lots of fun

Uh, did you buy the Sony Webbie?

That looks like a very handy video camera.
Might be getting this in the future. ^^

Hmm the only equipment I can take video on is my Sony digital compact camera ^_^; Quality not exactly the best.

The date idea is excellent though!

So the Webbie is the cause of Kagamin's hurt?

Does iMovie recognize the Sony Webbie when it's connected to your Mac? I know firewire devices can port over the movies directly to the iMovie/Final Cut Pro.

hmmm tasty orange... I want to lick it... and Mr. Cooney's gorilla pod looks funny.

All my digital camera gear (HD Video/SLR) is Sony, and has been for years now.

Weird thing about Sony is that they make a lot of the electronic components in Canon/Nikon/etc cameras, like the sensors. So when you buy a Sony, you really get ALL Sony instead of a mix-match.

Also- I need a pal like Matt to hook me up with new stuff...

I had with me for about 8 months now a Sony HD SR-12E VidCam. Uses both Memory stick and 120 GB internal harddisk. i'm preety happy with the results in Full HD and it was great when i brought it along for my trip to Tokyo In Jan2009. playing back through HDMI cable on full HD was fantastic.

I usually prefer to have my gears separated and not a "all in one" gear??? it's built specifically for a purpose. to have the extra capabilities would mean to have a downside or reduction in quality in some areas. As the saying goes, "You can't have it all.." heheheheh

The gorilla pod is another great gear to have if you usually travel alone. I got mine in the U.K. and it does great shots by clinging to any branch, rod, pole, bench and ETC. you don't need to ask any stranger to help get a shot of you, only to find out later that he cropped out half of your head in the photo. hehahahahaha

I'm not a huge fan of most Sony capture devices simply because of the media format. All of the devices I have use SD cards or derivatives like MicroSD and I have SD card readers in all of my portables. I have a multi card reader in my desktop machine, but that's not very useful when I'm on the road.

At some point, I'd like probably like a portable HD video recorder, but for now, both of my Canon cameras do a decent job recording standard definition video and sound.

I haven't seen a gadget review on this site in many moons.

Im still considering getting my hands on an Xacti. Usability and portability. (and water-resistance) Shame that it doesn't come in DC orange like the Webbie

I would love to play around with a digital camcorder ^^I Last time myself or my family had a video camera was those 80s VHS Cameras that were like 30 pounds.

nice camera danny... even though i can see the full quality on youtube.... Vimeo please...

Very sexy looking!
xD

great looking little camera. poor daughters having to be put through so much pain,:( ooh,ooh.
Just love the song you used for the Tokyo Trooper Vid,ah yes Earth Wind and Fire great song from the disco era great dancing music. Had me dancing in my chair. LOL :)
Btw, Just saw CM for Nikon on TV tonight, over here in the states they use Ashton Krutcher as the spokesperson, can't wait to see your CM go global.

Such a big box for such a small camera XD

your new daughter is sooooo cute! I find that I'm more a photo person than video ^^;

Both video Cameras has an advantage and a disadvantage .

Still finding the perfect video camera but not every thing is perfect .

Mmm.. I think I'd get myself a camera before a video recorder. That said, looks like I'm not gonna participate in the giveaway? ^^;

Nanoha is soo cute. Is that a handcuff I see on Saber? image ID#26850

>What video editing software do you prefer/recommend?
Have been using Pinnacle Studio.

Nice little camcorder, but reviews on SonyStyle.com complains of bad image stabilization. I can't complain; I had to build a mini-steadicam for my Kodak Zi6.

As for video editing software, I prefer Sony Vegas. It's light-weight and easy to use, much like Adobe Premier Elements and even Avid XPress Pro. But what I recommend is to do just downgrade from iMovie '08 to iMovie'06 or just use Final Cut Pro. People always tout that Final Cut Pro's the best editing software.

Would a mobile phone camera that can take videos count as a video camera? Besides that I only got a Panasonic Video Recorder using those smaller DVD's.

For video editing I've used Sony Vegas but am horrible at using it :

sonny Webbie quite small ^^, dont own any camcorder~~ not into video shooting ~~

I'm very amused at how they specifically chose the orange one to five you. Slap a white "d" sticker on it and you've got yourself the DC logo. xD

For video-editing on a Mac, I prefer Final Cut Pro. It's powerful, but not that much more complicated. However, for your uses...I'd say stick to iMovie. Most of your videos don't need much of the advanced functions. If anything, as mrDN suggests above, see if you can *downgrade* to iMovie '06. The new version is annoying for me. ^^;

Of course, there's the issue of whether '06 can handle HD footage. I know my Sony camcorder records in AVCHD, which is a compressed format that iMovie and all but the most recent version of Final Cut Pro can't handle.

"This Webbie was designed for markets outside of Japan and no plans to release it in Japan yet." Is it because of fears of HD hanky-panky upskirt shots? It's certainly small enough. xD j/k

my digital camera's a Canon PowerShot, so it's not really anything as high-end as either the Xacti or the Webbie. great for stills; I've used it just once or twice for video and I probably should at some point.

if the giveaway means us uploading stuff for you to see on YouTube, count me in. :) looking forward to it.

it's good for a small and compact camera :D

the thing we uses here is big and i have to hold it with 2 hands. pretty uncomfortable. though it's a studio quality. the small camera i used was crap.

nice cam!

Wow... only $184... and so small too! I think I'll have to pick me up one of those when I get the money.

Nice and small, and looks good for simple work. Unfortunately I don't have a videocamera....only my phone which is worse than poo in quality.

I usually don't like taking videos cause I can't find anything nice to record ^^; Videos look good in quality, the camera looks small and easy to bring about too.
Have a video recorder but the battery is missing @_@

Hi danny try HD version with sony webbie in youtube next time @@..I'm looking forward to buy one ^^

Good stuff right there.. =D. I should pick me up one of those, but I just got a video camera as a grad gift. Maybe next time.. ^__^

Lately I've been trying Sony Vegas Pro. Overall it seems to be extremely powerful and very easy to pick up and use - I'm definitely sticking with it.

How good is the light on the front of the camera? The 1080p sample doesn't look so hot. Maybe it's been compressed too much.

ha lol nice camera i dont need camera cos my phone has 8 mega pixel camera

Not for me as I will go for something that will record good quality video and sound pick up. As for video editing I always use my Sony Vegas 8 which is quite fun because it have tons of effects and settings that I can set and do also I'm a Amv editor.

Danny your dolfies should seriously get some car ears.

Awesome colour, the camera looks very nice overall.

My digital camera can take videos although their never very good quality so i rarely use it for that.

Uhg, memory stick duo. Talk about a party pooper. Nothing but Sony products use that.

Doesn't look like I can use an external mic either...

I have a digital camera that can do video, but it's pretty crude.

Wow, that videocam is cheap & take HD vid~~~

I mostly use my digicam to take vids~~~~~

It's orange!!!! ORANGE!!!! I LOVE IT!!!

Take also videos with my Digicam (was surprised by the video and audio quali^^") But a litte HD camcorder would be nice too.

But I don´t like Memory sticks (SDHC Banzai!) and when the Sound is rather crappy... But the optical zoom is nice.

I use compact camera for video but I don't really use it. I prefer taking photos than videos.

I alway loved Sony Products!

I alway loved Sony Products!

Woah, that sure is worth it considering the price tag.
But yea, if I were to get a videocam, I want one that has a longer lasting battery.
Or maybe I'll bring along a spare battery, lol.

When te review of Nikon D5000 ? :)

Hmmm... just wondering Danny, what do you think the of LX3's HD quality against a dedicated HD video cam?

Small is good! I just don't like memory stick...none of my device use memory stick...

Looks pretty good...better than the one i have now...

Just noticed your daughter's necks are omg long. O.O

I love my Xacti HD1000. Strange camcorder but produces good video and is very good for taking quick videos - easier than taking pics with a camera. No 'proper' iamge stabilisation though, so tends to get a pick shakey when walking around.

From what I see it's only available in the states. Not even in Canada D:

Since I wanted to replace my old Panasonic MiniDV camera with an HD recording device, and the Canon EOS 500D came out this year, I think I'm going to wait until the price of the 500D (Kiss X3) body drops, so I can replace my 450D (Kiss X2) (which I bought half a year ago). I don't really care that the 1080p is only 20fps, which is still decent I think. 720p is at 30fps though.
Another reason why I would want my DSLR to have (HD) video recording, as it minimizes the amount of devices you have to carry on a trip. Used to bring my old Canon Powershot A70 and the Panasonic camera on vacation, and it's always so much around your neck. So I like the fact to have everything in one neat package, that takes great pictures and shoots HD. Plus you get the benefit of replaceable lenses.

I really need a new camera, mine wont zoom out anymore... its also a pile of crap...

Looks neato in a speedo, but I'll have to pass. I'd love a camera to make youtube videos though, but I'll wait on those options while I'm saving up for other things. I'm more interested in buying a new EDC or survival knife at the moment, which a decent one will take large, painful chunks from my wallet. ^^; And then I have travel plans in the near future, and people's birthdays coming up. O.o; So depending on how I plan things, I'll just quit on the hiking idea and possibly look at cameras for the traveling and events.

I'm not sure, the price on this looks decent, but I'm still not sure for the quality. Maybe if it shines after an update from Danny, I'll spill some monies for it.

That Webbie is pretty neat. You will get used to the memory stick. :D The Pro Duos are pretty nice because they are really small, but durable as well.

I am more of a picture person than video, so I think I will stick with my DSC-H50. ^_^ The H-50 actually takes pretty nice video, although it's only 640x480, but the video still come out really nice...that's in it's raw format though...would probably look crappier when if gets compressed. I still like it anyway ^_^

Ahhh the gorrilapod. I has a pink one lol. Fits with my little cybershot nicely lol.
My cam can take 10 minutes of video. No longer in high quality mode. Not sure how long on low/mid quality though. Haven't tried yet. Tis nice quality vid. NO ZOOM though... little annoying. But I don't really use it for vids lol.

My dad has an itty-bitty camera. Got it a year or so ago, not so good quality. Not compared to the Webbie at any rate lol.

I have a Sony camcorder as well and the image quality is excellent.
Enjoy it!

That looks like a nice little camera (actually quite tiny). ^^

Your Nanoha Dollfie does look really great Danny, even with the eyes that are rather dark she does look cute.

I have a digital camera xD
It's really old though loll... Canon Powershot ^^;;

@Danny: have you tried the video functions on the D5000? I thought it was HD too.

Have digital camera but no video function =(

I have a FujiFilm FinePix F20, and while it can take video, it's not the greatest quality. I could use one of these vid cams. But alas, no moneys. And the list of things I need to get is very long.
Danny, have you considered a small external mic for the camera? I think I spied a mic-in jack, and you could get one that attaches to the cam's body.

That looks nice. Video quality not that bad.

That's awesome Danny, I was actually just looking at two Canon HD camcorders. But I would gladly get a Sony if you think it's worth it. Here are the two I was looking at:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830120313

vs

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830120313

Perhaps one of your readers might be able to guide me in the right direction? I don't really know too much on this subject.

such a small video camera. possibility of loosing it is high unless its tied to something.
cant check out the 720p or 1080p vids since i'm on 256k and saw that those video sizes are too much for my connection.

i have a canon digicam which can take vids in 6mp res and also has zoom feature. but saves in 4:3 avi format only. also sizes are quite big. goes to around 200mb for 2 minutes video.

I think this one is a good purchase for those in budget basing on the features. I just recently got HDR CX100 ( http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665737599) which is also nice little handycam but $400 more on Sony's website ^^;.A lot of more expensive but it's loaded with cool features like face detection, smile shutter, 8gb hdd with optional memory stick, mini HDMI output, full hd 1920x1080, 2.7” wide touch panel, etc. The best features are probably face detection and smile shutter. Smile shutter lets your camcorder to take pictures of people smilling in the middle of recording.

It's a Sony!

I love design and size.

Xacti rulezzz !!!!!!!!!

Nice review! When will you post a review of your new Nikon?

If you're having problems with sound Danny, I do really reccommend a portable XY HD recorder. Something like the Zoom H4/Zoom H4n, it records stereo and you can record in to a multitude of different formats and qualities. Thats if you're sitting down and talking to the camera, if you wanted in field work, I'm afraid you'd need another trooper or some device to hold it about though.

They should be available on amazon.

I don't have a video camera at the moment, never had the real need for anything other than a nice camera.

I really like when you compared the camera size to the dollfie, figma sizes. very interesting way to compare!

pretty decent quality even for a webbie camera. i am impressed!

I have a nokia N85 which I personally think is pretty much any person could possibly need on a daily basis. 5 MP camera, decent video recordings, and it even has cell phone functions (^_^).

I also have a digi cam which does exactly the same as my cellphone ^^; its a nikon coolpix 5300...nothing fancy.

Gorillapod is neat

matt where is my hook up ;_;

I don't have a good camcorder. I would love to own one though.

We do have a Olympus E-500 that I use most.
Its quite big and I would'nt dare take it about to do some shooting because I might damage it and its bigger than my MegaTokyo pack. :P

Small compact devices please. XD

Why not 1080p? :X

Wow, looks like a cool little practical camera that is good quality as well. ^^
Horrible colour though lol.

That is one small ultra-compact HD camcorder! I've been planning to buy an Hi-Def camcorder, but couldn't really decide between the flash memory ones or the HDD ones. For an 8GB flash memory Hid-Def Sony camcorder plus another 16GB memory stick (totalling 24GB), the price comes to $799.98 CAD. But an 80GB HDD Hi-Def Sony camcorder only costs $799.99 CAD as well. Equivalent price but 56GB more memory at the cost of being a bit heaver, bulkier and consuming more battiers. Which one is better to use for travel?

I think my camera does video, but I've got no idea how to get the video function to work if it has it, and what sort of quality video that is. I think I'm with Chun in that I prefer taking photos to taking video--somehow taking video feels like recording too much of my life or something. Even if I did take video, I can't imagine myself sharing much of it.

One thing I really like about that model is its small size and bright color ^^;

i would have to say the the webbie is kinda of cool but the colour range kinda blows only three colours i bet the xacti has a better colour range than the webbie. but all in all it's a good little piece of kit.

Wow, they are so tiny. Its pretty amazing what they can pack into such a small space these days.

This new Sony camera match perfectly with Mirai's outfits XD

That's a pretty handy camera for traveling ^_^

Possible this will get into a real GET list. I'm about to buy a camera since my last one was stolen (a DSCW290B), and I'm a sony fan (it's a sony!). I've found it for 260u$s at my local eBay.
What's your opinion about the photos? Also, what are they real specifications? I've found on eBay, Amazon and in the sonystyle site different things, some say it has 16gb internal memory, others onle 12mb, some say it has stereo recording, others mono. Will be buying a camera/handicam next month for sure.

i need a new camcorder for my upcoming trip. This seems like a good one to have.

I enjoy the metallic orange color. If it comes in blue I'm buying it for sure. Saving for a Webbie now!... Wasn't there a character in Ducktales named Webbie??? Hm

Will have to start looking for a new digital capture device (aka, camera)
This one is good, but not quite what I would be looking for. Will know after I do some research "lol"
Does wonderfully tho! So will be a benchmark to use against any out there.

Playing a string of the Stormtrooper videos as I pick up the living room (big tv, stereo kinda loud) . . . nothing like dancing, laughing and getting my chores done!!!
Plus the Stormtrooper is "such" a good dancing partner ;>

Me wanteth video camera but i have to geteth me anime figures! ^_____^ LOL